Rent: Live Best and Worst Moments

BEST: LARSON’S LEGACY

Rent scribe Jonathan Larson, who passed away one day before the show’s off-Broadway opening, got an early shout-out from Fox’s production, which began with timely words of wisdom from Larson himself. This sage advice may have been penned in 1996, but it’s just as relevant more than two decades later.

BEST: ‘THE POWER BLOWS!’

We won’t lie: Before Jordan Fisher and Brennin Hunt broke into Rent‘s title song, the production felt a bit low-energy as the camera jumped between (seemingly) separate sets. But just when Mark and Roger’s power went out, the atmosphere on stage became electric, as the curtain dropped to reveal an enthusiastic live audience and more scaffolding than you could ever want.

WORST: BREAK A LEG

As previously reported, Brennin Hunt (aka Roger) suffered a foot injury on Saturday that kept him from performing in Sunday’s live show. But Rent had an odd back-up plan: Instead of securing an understudy for Hunt, Fox aired the production’s dress rehearsal, with the cast appearing at the first commercial break (instead of before the show, weirdly) to inform us that we wouldn’t really be seeing a live production.

BEST: ANGEL’S ARRIVAL

Not that we expected anything less from RuPaul’s Drag Race veteran Valentina, but Angel Dumott Schunard’s first entrance in full drag was nothing short of heavenly. The coat! The wig! The pose! The only thing missing? Angel’s iconic-but-anxiety-inducing jump onto the table during the drum solo in “Today 4 U.” (Though, to be fair, one broken foot per production is probably enough.)

WORST: DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS

The producers of Rent: Live had their work cut out for them, since the show’s mature language and themes had to be adjusted for an 8 pm, broadcast TV audience. And while we can’t fault Fox for eliminating Rent‘s numerous F-bombs, we were a little puzzled by the clunky lyric change in “You’ll See,” which altered, “You need somewhere to do it/Think twice before you pooh-pooh it” to the awkward, “You need somewhere to perfect it/Think twice before you reject it.” Stick to your guns, Benny!

BEST: TINASHE GOES OUT

From the moment Mimi purred, “What’s the time?,” Tinashe completely slayed her vivacious character’s biggest song, slinking around Rent‘s set like she owned the place — and, frankly, she did. Even after dangling from Roger’s stairs, the girl barely broke a sweat!

BEST: SWEATER WEATHER

This one’s for the true Rentheads among us: Although Jordan Fisher didn’t don Mark Cohen’s signature red-and-blue sweater in Fox’s production, the shirt still made a cheeky appearance during “Christmas Bells,” when Angel declined to buy it from a woman on the street. (In fairness, that sweater isn’t nearly fabulous enough for Angel Dumott Schunard.)

BEST: FULL ‘MOON’

You better believe we were moo-ing from our couches during Vanessa Hudgens’ excellent, relentlessly energetic rendition of “Over the Moon,” which ended with the actress soaring over the Los Angeles — uh, we mean New York City! — crowd.

BEST: DEARLY BELOVED, WE GATHER HERE…

There are few Rent sequences as unabashedly joyous as “La Vie Boheme,” the rousing love-yourself anthem that ends the first act. Fox’s production captured the song’s energy beautifully (and mostly uncensored, too!), with Jordan Fisher hitting peak charisma as Mark danced from table to table.

BEST: THE GREATEST SHOW-WOMAN

If you somehow didn’t already know Keala Settle from The Greatest Showman — but, let’s face it, we all know the words to “This Is Me” by now — you certainly won’t forget her after that gorgeous “Seasons of Love” solo. Not only did she hit that note at the end of the song, but she made it look so damn easy.

BEST: SHINE, TASHE, SHINE

After winning us over as a high-belting sex kitten in “Out Tonight,” Tinashe proved she can also be a dramatic dynamo with her gut-wrenching performance of “Without You.” If you weren’t sobbing by the end, you might want to take a long look in the mirror. Who damaged you?

BEST: MAKING ‘CONTACT’

Frankly, we were a little surprised — pleasantly so! — to see that Fox’s broadcast included “Contact,” the ultra-sexy sequence that ultimately leads to multiple breakups and Angel’s tragic death. Sorry, Standards and Practices!

BEST: DIXON’S GOT IT COVERED

Move over, “Superstar“! There’s a new Brandon Victor Dixon musical performance that we’ll be watching on repeat for weeks: his deeply moving version of “I’ll Cover You (Reprise),” which so gorgeously conveyed Dixon’s huge vocal talent and Collins’ unending love for the late Angel.

WORST: GETTING OWNED

For the most part, we really dug Rent‘s live audience and the energy it brought to the show… but we could have done without Mark and Roger crowd-surfing during “What You Own,” which took away from the song’s emotional revelations.

BEST: NO DAY BUT TODAY

If you weren’t already weeping at Mimi’s near-death — complete with an impressive performance of “Your Eyes” from an injured Brennin Hunt — surely you were grabbing Kleenex by the fistful during Rent‘s final moments. As the entire company gathered for the musical’s last song, inspiring words about Jonathan Larson’s life and legacy accompanied the scene. Oh, and if you still weren’t crying, perhaps the appearance of Rent‘s original cast members (many of whom stood next to their 2019 counterparts) did the trick. How do you measure a live Rent show? In tears, apparently.